Arizona men’s tennis junior Harry Busby has only been open to new opportunities in Tucson since transferring from Mesa Community College.
Busby has played tennis his whole life, which is pretty common among college tennis players, and has now had a semester to adjust to life at the UA.
Busby, originally from Birmingham, England, is part of a diverse Wildcat team. He isn’t even close to being the only foreigner among his fellow teammates.
The team currently has seven international players from South Africa, Singapore, Australia, Japan, Mexico and England,- out of 11 on the roster.
Busby mentioned that in the beginning, it was difficult to communicate with each other because of all the different accents.
International players are not always knowledgeable about college athletic opportunities in America. Busby’s older brother, however, came to the U.S. for an education and went back to tell Busby about what could happen for him. To Busby, it sounded like a great opportunity.
Because of the educational requirements, Busby had to play two years at MCC. Now that he is playing Division I tennis, he wants to achieve only the best for himself on and off the court.
In fact, one of his biggest goals at Arizona isn’t related to athletics.
“One of my biggest goals is to finish with a degree and making a big name for myself here in terms of tennis,” Busby said. “In England, it was always tennis, tennis, tennis. But here, I have an education and more of a social life.”
Busby hopes to come out as one of the top 25 collegiate players by the time he is done with his senior year. He is well aware, however, that it will take hard work, but also something else: mentality.
Busby feels tennis is a very physical sport, but says mental aspects are also a huge part of the game. He has no doubt in his ability to play, but lately he knows that his matches have been all mental.
“Recently, I haven’t been doing well in my matches and I’ve been playing in the moment too much,” Busby said. “I get nervous when I play, when I should just be confidently playing my game. So just overcoming that mental piece is one of the barriers I am battling right now.”
Busby’s abilities do not go unrecognized, especially since he earned All-American honors during NCAA nationals, in which he posted a 9-4 record against ranked opponents. He also finished his freshman season at Cowley Community College in Kansas as the No. 2-ranked player in the nation.
“He is always willing to work hard and improve everyday, as well as leading by the example and motivating others,” teammate Jose Zamorano said.
Aside from being an intense competitor, Busby has also described himself as a social butterfly. Where many athletes only focus on their abilities on the court, he has embraced the chance to make friends and connect with students off the court.
Busby talked about how much he loves the social life at Arizona and what a difference there is in England. One thing he is looking forward to is making it home to see his mates in England this summer. Essentially, Busby just wants to be an ordinary college student along the way.
“In my free time,” Busby said, “I like going to the gym, socializing and eating sushi.”
